NUTRITION GARDEN

Subject: Governance

Context: Nutritional Garden, an initiative of the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), is expected to bring in drastic changes in the food habits of many families from Kottoor, an adopted village of KVK.

Concept:

• It is a year-long project under which the institute supplies locally available and indigenous seeds to the families nearby so that they can grow vegetables in their kitchen garden and ensure uninterrupted supply of vegetables for their household needs.
• KVK has also included three anganwadis in the panchayat under the scheme, aiming to ensure nutrition supply to children, adolescents and pregnant women from the region
• Beneficiary families were offered vermi compost units along with the seeds, they were able to generate fertilizers from kitchen waste.
• KVK is promoting an integrated farming model for residents and many have started rearing poultry and goats along with vegetables.
• Apart from seed supply and training, KVK also carries out nutrition intake surveys among the beneficiary families to review the impact of the garden on their nutrition intake.
• It evaluates the food consumption time of children and adults and assesses the vegetable intake by the family members.

KrishiVigyan Kendra

• A KrishiVigyan Kendra (KVK) is an agricultural extension center in India.
• Usually associated with a local agricultural university, these centers serve as the ultimate link between the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and farmers, and aim to apply agricultural research in a practical, localized setting.
• All KVKs fall under the jurisdiction of one of the 11 Agricultural Technology Application Research Institutes (ATARIs) throughout India.
• KVKs provide several farm support activities like providing technology dissemination to farmers, training, awareness etc.
• To achieve these, KVKs undertake:

Farm advisory service.

Training programme for different categories of people.

Training programme for the extension functionaries.

Front line demonstration.

On farm testing